Alphabet
by fromthehillbythelake
Summary: Twenty-six drabbles of Eclare, one story for each letter of the alphabet. Some will be AU, some will be angsty, some will be smutty, some will be fluffy, but they'll all be between 100-200 words, and all Eclare.
1. A, F, Y

**Okay, so I have a treat for you. I stole this 'alphabet' prompt from Seamagik...basically, she wrote drabbles for 26 letters of the alphabet for the Dark Angel fandom, and I'm going to do the same for Degrassi. **

**Some drabbles will be AU, some will be angsty, some will be smutty, some will be fluffy, but they'll all be between 100-200 words, and all Eclare. The ratings will differ, but I'm putting it at M to be safe, because it will basically slide-scale from K to M.**

**I hope you like this, and I don't own :)**

* * *

**A - Asymptote **

**********-x-**

They were so close. At the end of everyday, he'd crawl into bed and wonder how different his life could have been. Why couldn't they just go back to that day? He'd fight this time. Just one more chance, _please_. In his dreams they ride on separate trains, why he doesn't know. He can't see where the tracks begin or where they end, only where they come so close that two lovers on opposite cars can share a single kiss before they speed off in opposite directions, never to see each other again. And he hates that day because they miss their chance when she decides to follow her head, and before they understand that they can never be together now, the tracks already pull apart to opposite ends of the earth, never to touch again. And he knew it was only because he'd been so stupid.

* * *

**F - First**

**************-x-**

And it _hurts_. She claws at his back, whimpering, and he soothes, _sorrysorrysorry_. They're naked and sweaty and she didn't think it would be _this_ bad. He tries moving slower, gentler, holds her at a different angle, all the while kissing her and chanting her name. She's happy, _so so_ happy, but the pain doesn't subside, so he pulls out. She's about to apologize, can feel the tears coming, but he looks at her and her heart flutters and he pulls her close. "Come here," he says, and she can feel his breath tickle her thighs and oh. _Oh_. "Move your hips," he breathes. "Up, like that," he groans. _There_, she gasps, and "...no, just wait, okay, oh..." Her body relaxes, and she feels like she's on fire and _ohmygod_. She's shaking when they try again, and this time it's warm and smooth and she collapses hearing _IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou_. She gives him her heart and a kiss and drowns in it.

* * *

**Y - Yours**

**************-x-**

Every morning she looks at the photo on her way down the spiral staircase. Her three children smile back at her, and she touches the glass with her fingertips. Liam, her eldest, eyes blue and bright, smiling like he knows a secret. Lily, her middle child, looks at the camera under her loose blonde curls, her smile innocent and shy all at once. They are truly hers, polite and kindhearted and smart. Proper. They stand close together, and it's obvious that they share a tender affection. They have their father's hair and nose and chin, and the rest they take from her. But her youngest, Ben...he's his father's son. His eyes green and piercing, his bow lips curved in a mischievous smirk. You'll only notice if you look closely that he's set apart. Clare's hand rests on his shoulder, but no one else seems to be connected to him. "He's yours," she whispers, and it isn't fair and it isn't right, and she's married to a man who's too good to her, but in love with one who's dead.

* * *

**I'll try my hardest to have more up soon! Review? ;)**


	2. H, M, S

**And here is the second installment ;)**

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed.**

**I don't own.**

* * *

**H - Hate**

**************-x-**

I hated him, and I hated her, and on days I was being completely honest, I hated myself most of all. He looked at me from the stage, his eyes cold and calculating, and I felt my resolve bending again. Bending to _him_. I'd told him it was the last time. _Ever_. He'd laughed. Because we both knew better.

It should have mattered that he was married...that _I_ was married.

But when he inched toward me, his teeth bared, his chest heaving, our voices hoarse from yelling so loud, all that mattered was that I _needed_ him. I barely felt the bruises anymore. Broken glasses were nothing compared to broken hearts. Because after every slap, every scratch, every goddamn word we screamed, nothing could make me hate him more than when he whispered those three little words.

* * *

**M - Meet**

**************-x-**

She'd slept through her alarm, slipped in the shower, burnt her toast, spilled her coffee, and chipped her nail all within the span of thirty minutes, so by the time she jumped onto the crowded, humid, stuffy morning bus, she was almost ready to cry.

Deciding she could at least drown out the noise, she reached into her bag to pull out her headphones ready to blast her favourite song, when she realized she'd left them at home. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she tried to grab onto one of the polls more securely, knowing the bus would be entering the station soon. She took a glance out the window, hating that she had to work on such a lovely day.

The bus braked suddenly, sending her as well as half the other passengers flying forward.

"_Sorrysorrysorrysorry_!" she cried, completely smothering the people in front of her. Her face was bright red as she picked herself up, wincing as her toes got stomped on.

"It's alright," she heard a smooth male voice. She caught his eyes, a startling green, offering him a small smile.

He reached forward impulsively, his hand skimming her collar, and she couldn't contain her gasp.

"I think your shirt's inside-out, love."

**(This drabble was 208 words, I hope you didn't mind ;) )**

* * *

**S - Sleep**

**************-x-**

He cradled our daughter in his arms, humming softly to try and get her to sleep. She'd been crying, and I lay exhausted beside him on the mattress, having just changed and fed her. He pressed a kiss to my temple, and before sleep could pull me under, he started to sing, soft as the wind.

"_Stay awake, don't rest your head. Don't lie down upon your bed. While the moon drifts in the skies, stay awake, don't close your eyes."_

Finally, almost as if against her will, Grace's eyes started to close.

"_Though the world is fast asleep, though your pillow's soft and deep, you're not sleepy as you seem. Stay awake, don't nod and dream. Stay awake, don't nod and dream."_

Grace gurgled softly, and he wrapped her tighter, rolling off the bed to put her in her crib.

"Mary Poppins?" I whispered when he came back.

"You said your mom always used to sing it to you when you were young. I thought it would be a nice tradition to pass along," he murmured, crawling into bed beside me.

I would never love anyone was much as I loved him.

* * *

**And that was part two! **

**Lemme know what you thought, I love to hear feedback :)**

**And I'd be happy to take some suggestions for letter prompts as well! I'm running out of words, ahaha.**


	3. I, Q

**Here we go, I hope you enjoy the ride :)**

**I don't own.**

* * *

**I - Idiot**

**-x-  
**

She came home to him lying half naked on her bed, a steak over his face.

"Get out," she snapped, changing out of her dress and into her leather bodysuit.

"Give me a fucking minute," he growled, adjusting the meat.

"You've already compromised us both coming here," she seethed, attaching the gun holster to her upper thigh with a satisfying snap. "What did you do this time?"

"Why am I always the bad guy with you Clare?"

"Because you don't use your head. Ever. And get off my bed, the steak's dripping on my sheets."

He huffed bitterly, and Clare pretended she couldn't see the angry bruises on his chest. He dabbed the steak a couple more times over his face before standing up.

"Eli!" she breathed, finally seeing his black eye, split lip, and bleeding nose in the lamplight. She reached a hand toward him, her heart racing suddenly, but he already had his gun on her before she could take another step.

"I need to fix you up," she snarled, pushing the gun away with a flick of her wrist. He couldn't help smirking when she placed her hand against his cheek.

"Idiot."

* * *

**Q - Queen**

******-x-**

And when it was placed upon her head, he knew the sound of his heart breaking would be drowned out by the applause. They loved her. As countryfolk should. He had pretended long enough. Love meant nothing in a world built on political alliances. She was dead now, he could see it in her eyes. As her King raised her arm in union, fresh cheers waved throughout the crowd. She would be expected to behave like a lady now. To dance and laugh and fuck as _he_ pleased. Their heated kisses in the rain meant nothing now. Their horseback rides in the blistering sun, their sword fights in the meadow that she always won.

And as she made her way down the stone steps, hand in hand with her King, a black-haired Knight's desires didn't mean a damn thing.

"M'lady," he rasped, reaching forward to kiss her hand as she passed. _I would let you be who you are_, his eyes said. _ I wouldn't care if you had a boy or a girl. I would love you._

"Ser," she managed, quickly pulled towards the next Knight. _I'm not yours anymore. I'm already dead._

* * *

**These were both AU, in case you were wondering ;)**

**Oh, I really hope you enjoyed them. Review? :)**


	4. C, G

**Well here's part four :)**

These are coming to me slowly but surely ahah. And sophiainterrupted, I promise I'll have B out soon. Just gotta find some inspiration!

I don't own. Enjoy! xo

* * *

**C - Copies**

**-x-  
**

"Almost done!" Clare smiled triumphantly, waiting for the remaining hundred to finish. She picked up one sheet from the finished pile to admire it.

"With time to spare," Eli smirked, swiping the paper from her playfully to put it back in the pile. "We make a good team Edwards."

She couldn't help the smile that bloomed across her cheeks. "We do, don't we?"

"So," he began after a moment, suddenly serious. Clare felt her stomach kick nervously. "Got any plans for this evening?" he tried nonchalantly.

"Other than the excitement of finishing these 800 copies?" she laughed, trying to hide the way her voice trembled. "No...why?"

"Well," he answered, "I got two tickets to Frostival...and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me..."

"Oh," she blushed, suddenly flustered. "I don't know-"

"Clare," he smiled, pulling the tickets out of his back pocket and holding them towards her. "Not like that. It's no pressure. It's just I've been _dying_ to ride the Merry-Go-Round, and I spent a whole _four bucks_, and well, I'd hate for them to go to waste."

She giggled, catching his wink. "Why not?"

And before he could say another word, she grabbed a ticket from his hand.

"Yoink."

**(208 words, sorry!)**

**I thought I'd expand on drewsbianca's idea of what happened when Eli and Clare were making 800 copies ;) I hope I did it justice :)**

* * *

**G - Game**

**-x-  
**

"How do we play?" he asked lowly, sitting down in front of her. They were totally alone and she realized that this was a _very_ bad idea. "Clare?" he prompted, his voice making her shiver. He scooted closer, so their knees touched. She wished he'd stop looking at her like that.

"You," she blurted, catching his eyes for an instant, "...put your finger on my forehead..."

He did.

"And you...keep moving down..." He did, his finger ghosting over her lips.

"Until I say 'stop'."

His finger graced in between her breasts, his eyes clouded by lust. He moved slower, never breaking eye contact. This was a dangerous game. One step too far and you could ruin everything. His finger was above her belly button now, just a couple seconds till he touched her skirt. He looked nervous for a moment, almost as if he wished she would cave so that the he wouldn't lose control.

"Did I say stop?" she breathed as his finger stilled on her skirt.

His breath was hot against her cheek. "How do you win?" he whispered, sliding down her panties.

"How do you think?"

* * *

**Teehee :)**


	5. P, T, W

**Okay, so here is chapter 5! Beware, only one letter is fluffy, the rest are meant to rip your heart to shreds. I really am sorry, it's just how it worked out.**

**p.s. I'm going to be very busy this week, so likely no updates for anything of mine for a while :(**

**I don't own.**

* * *

**P - Parallel**

**-x-  
**

When her eldest son said that he'd bought a motorcycle at dinner one night, she dropped the dishes she was carrying to the table.

She remembered her little 12 year old self peeking at a boy and his bike from behind some bushes. Not just any boy. _Him_.

She watched him for years, cutting his yearbook photo out every year and taping it inside her closet, kissing it every night before she went to bed. She was 14 and stupid and asked her mom what it was like to be in love. Her mother said she was too young to know, far too young.

But still she watched him; watched his bike get replaced by a hearse, and later by a motorcycle.

She went to almost every one of his races.

But after she'd missed a couple, determined to smother this stupid crush, he'd cornered her at school the next day and asked her where she'd been. She'd never blushed so hard in all her 18 years.

He told her to wait for him after the race, told her he needed to ask her something. Told her he'd win for her.

But she never got to find out. He'd crashed, his question dying with him.

And she did her best to hide her tears as she picked up the ceramic, her son telling her not to worry and saying she should be glad he didn't buy the cheap hearse instead.

**(This is about 300 words, but I just had to go over, hope you can forgive moi)**

* * *

**T - Tangent**

**-x-  
**

He couldn't say what prompted him to open his passenger door and offer the girl a ride. It was rainy and dark, and he never, ever, did anything like this, but he'd asked where she was headed before his brain had a chance to catch up. She'd said _Anywhere_, and gave him the most peculiar smile. The way she said it, without an ounce of uncertainty, made him pathetically aware of how insignificant they were. A man and a woman, very much alone in a world of seven billion, closer to death with every waking moment. She told him it was her dream to fuck a man on every continent, and he told her that dreams were for children. He wondered if _he_ was the man she chose from North America as she straddled him on the front seat when they got to the bus station. He told her he loved her, let the words tumble out because deep in his heart, he just _knew_. She told him love was for children. And when he woke up in his car the next morning she was gone...only her name, _Clare_, scribbled in lipstick on his mirror to remember her by.

* * *

**W - Wine**

**-x-  
**

He proposed to her in his grandparents' vineyard, one that had been in his family for generations. He remembers how warm that day was, how they'd ripped their clothes off piece by piece to try and cool down. He remembers kissing her, pulling her down in the grass under the trees, their sweaty, salty bodies fused. She looked so perfect he thought he would die. He didn't have a ring, so he ripped a vine from a branch and wrapped it around her finger. She didn't say anything, simply pulled another vine off the same branch and tied it around his finger too. He promised he'd buy her a real one when they got home, and only then did she start to cry, kissing him ardently and whispering one perfect _yes_. He'd loved wine ever since.

* * *

**Good lord, I am sacrificing Eclare to the alter of angst, I'm so sorry! I hope you liked this :) Review?**


	6. E, J

**I know it's not much, but I'm so swamped at the moment, and I didn't want to let these drabbles slip away from me :)  
**

**I really appreciate everyone who's read my stories, or favourited or reviewed them. I know I don't often respond (I'm terrible) to everyone's lovely reviews or PMs, but just know that I appreciate everything. You guys honestly make me able to soldier on.**

**Enjoy. I don't own.**

* * *

**E - Exhale**

**-x-  
**

The green-eyed stranger asked for a light, his voice raspy and low and tempting. She told him she didn't smoke, and that made him laugh. That made her angry and she added that she didn't care for cancer. He told her that he didn't care for righteousness and took another drag. She nearly stormed off, but noticed the soft mischief in his eyes, only relenting after he apologized. She glanced over him, inexplicably fascinated by the cigarette dangling in between his long, elegant fingers. He quirked an eyebrow, his lips contrasting deliciously against the white, and sucked in, waiting a moment before exhaling a perfect circle of smoke. _ Eli_, he'd said, smirking.

She swore she'd never date a smoker, and with a final huff, he threw his cigarette to the ground.

She swore a lot of things before she met him.

She still did what she wanted and it drove him mad, but every time she caught him sneaking a drag, the cigarette resting on his bottom lip, a perfect grey haze surrounding him, she wondered when she'd changed her mind.

* * *

**J - Julia**

**-x-  
**

She traced her fingertips over the shiny black letters on his shoulder blade. His room was filled with the soft glow of melted candles, the smoke lingering in the air. She remembered when she couldn't look at it. Couldn't bring herself to touch it. She never felt like she was fully his with the arrangement of _j_ and _u_ and _l_ and _i_ and _a_ on his skin; constantly reminding her that someone had gotten there first. He had looked at her sadly, but never apologized for it. She hadn't wanted him to. He acted like he had no vacancy in his heart, but she knew he could fit anyone he loved (once he made room). She smiled now as he looked at her, blushed as he pressed his lips to her piercing. She realized that it didn't matter who was there before, or that he'd loved another, because she was his now. And that's when he smiled and asked her what she thought about tattoos.

* * *

**mERP. Not too angsty, not too much of anything really, but I hope you liked :) Review?**


	7. D, N, R

**Well fuck it, I got home from work, and I have a totally free weekend, and I really missed writing, so here we go ;)**

**Enjoy, lovely readers, and I don't own.**

* * *

**D - Drunk**

**-x-  
**

"Why aren't _you_ drunk?" she moaned, rolling around like a rag doll on the mattress.

"Goldsworthy genes," he replied in a tone that suggested she was ridiculous but he liked her anyway. "Heavyweights." He hoisted her calves up to pull off her shoes.

"Well that's not very fair," she mumbled, scrunching her nose at him. And then she burst into giggles. He smirked, tucking her under the covers.

"Eli," she whispered, beckoning him with a finger. "_Eliiiii_..."

He leaned closer.

"BOOP!" she burst out, poking his nose and laughing hysterically.

Tomorrow was going to be a field day.

"I think...I'm falling in love with you," she babbled, now poking at his lips.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll break your heart."

"I don't think so."

"I know so."

She sighed. "I'm going to go to bed now Elijah Goldsworthy."

"Okay Clare Edwards."

She snuggled tighter under the covers, her mouth slack with exhaustion. He pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips before walking out her bedroom door. He rummaged through her liquor cabinet, pouring a glass of the straightest shit she owned.

He wasn't drunk enough for this.

"I'll break your heart," he repeated after he got completely smashed at her counter.

**(204 words, ugh I tried!)**

* * *

**N - Neighbour **

**-x-  
**

She hated it that he had to wear the sign of David around his arm. She hated that she had to talk to him in secret. She hated that they had been reduced to guilt-ridden kisses and desperate touches in the black of night. She snuck him into her attic when _they_ came to his house, summoning his mother and father. He barely escaped, and was inconsolable, shaking in her embrace. Jake caught her tip toeing from the stairs one night. He looked at her, silently, and put two rolls of bread in her hands before making his way back to bed.

She came home the next day to a ransacked house. She nearly clawed Jake's eyes out, but stopped when she saw the righteous expression on her mother's face. Her father stood numbly by her side. She screamed that she would rather be a 'dirty Jew's whore,' than their daughter, and ran as far and as fast as she could towards the trains.

They had no use for writers, so he was one of the first lined up against the wall. They died in a mist of red - him shielding her and her shielding him - together at last.

* * *

**R - Ride**

**-x-  
**

"I'll be behind you the whole time," he soothed his daughter, who was attempting to ride her bike without training wheels for the first time. The girl, a spitting image of him, nodded her head sharply, a nervous tremour on her lips.

"Don't let go," she ordered more than requested, and adjusted her helmet roughly before gripping the handlebars again.

She crashed into his car, scraped her knee, lost her shoe, even cursed once (to his amusement), and was _always_ angry that he'd let go every time she yelled at him to, but she was determined more than anything. Definitely Clare's daughter.

He knew she wanted to show off to her mom when she got home. Definitely his daughter.

And when he let the seat go this time, she flew, laughing happily.

And then he heard a car rip around the corner out of nowhere. He heard the brakes screech. He heard her gasp. He saw Julia, all those years ago, her bloody corpse flung from her bike.

And his little girl told him everything was okay when she saw his tears, told him she was okay.

He didn't let go of her the rest of the night, despite her protests.

**(201 words, oh lordy).**

* * *

**Oooh, I hope those were okay! Review? :)  
**


	8. K, L

**I know this isn't much, but I hope you like it anyways readers :)**  
**And good lord, it was glorious on tumblr tonight wasn't it? Ugh.**

**I don't own.**

* * *

**K - Kryptonite**

**-x-  
**

"Gentle," he winced as her hand slipped, the wrench grinding against the steel.

"Sorry," she squeaked, her anxiety heightening as she fumbled with it. He pressed closer behind her, his arms encircling her waist and she instantly calmed down.

"Here," he said gently, moving his hand over hers, which still clutched his wrench. "Like this."

He twisted her hand in a repetitive motion, guiding her, nodding his head, murmuring words of encouragement. And when her brow furrowed and her lips pursed, he knew she got the hang of it, so he let her take over. She stood on her tippy-toes, reaching toward the last bolt, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Still he stood behind her, smirking when he had to adjust her grip or slow her pace, but patiently watching, ingraining the scene to memory.

"I got it!" she squealed, giving a final, firm tug. "I did it!" And she turned to him, her eyes bright and her face glowing, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Smiling a satisfied smile, she attached herself to his side and asked what was next.

"I don't think Morty can take anymore abuse," he drawled, and that earned him a smack, but still she smiled.

**(206 words, I'm sorry! I'm not very good a following my own rules haha.)**

* * *

**L - Lust**

**-x-  
**

She asked with her eyes and he answered with his fingers, trailing down her spine, across her hips, between her legs. She writhed and arched and squirmed, panting, moaning, crying out; she was wet and hot and _hungry, _biting the sweet spot on his neck, making him cum so hard she was sure the neighbours heard. He answered with a vicious kiss, sucking and licking and begging as her nails raked down his back. She forgot the question as they hollered, their voices slurred and hoarse and _loud_ - uninhibited. She _needed_ this, needed him to ruin her inside out so she could remember this wasn't love; him burying in her hollows, him rolling her against the sink - a perfect fit (though they denied it). She screamed as she came, loving how he filled her, and he kept going, fucking until the plates fell from the shelf. And she knew the neighbours heard when the pounding started on her walls, but she couldn't care when he was thrusting like that, moaning like that, gripping her like that, doing this to destroy the both of them.

* * *

**Review? :) love and cookies.**


	9. B, U

**Here we go! Only 4 letters left :)  
I don't own.**

* * *

**B - Brave**

**-x-  
**

"So let me get this straight-" his tone was entreating, his brow furrowed. "You wore your old uniform to Degrassi, you sang a hymn in front of the entire cafe, you brought a vibrator to school and Mr. Armstrong found it, you went to the Sweetheart Dance with Connor, you got called a bitch by..."

"The Shep," she clarified quietly.

"-by 'Principal of the Year,' you went out with K.C., you wrote sexy vampire fanfiction, you gave Wesley a hickey when you bit him on the neck at that party, you kissed Declan on the neck, you stuffed your bra when Jenna spread those rumours about you, you moved into a grow op and got arrested - am I forgetting anything?"

"Wesley touched my boobs once?" she winced quietly.

"Wow."

"Eli, I-"

But he cut her off with a hard kiss, his fingers smoothing over her jaw.

They caught their breaths and she realized he was biting back laughter.

"You never fail to surprise me, Edwards."

**(Dedicated to the lovely sophiainterrupted, xo).**

* * *

**U - _Univers_**

**-x-  
**

"_Sais-tu combien de temps ta mère prend pour chier?_"

"What does that mean?" she giggled, snuggling closer to him on Morty's hood.

"_Neuf mois_," he smiled, watching a yellow autumn leaf fall from the tree above.

"Nine months?" she asked, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

But her voice was lost to him; the leaf was still falling, twirling and drifting in the breeze. He watched it, in a kind of melancholic trance, completely absorbed in the vivid sensory details of its colour and veins and texture. He was that leaf, she was that leaf; they were it - so hauntingly fragile.

"It means," he uttered lowly and faced her, "'_Do you know how much time your mother needs to take a shit?_"" And he smirked as he saw the realization dawn in her blue eyes, couldn't help snorting in laughter as her mouth opened in shock.

Then he started howling, tears gathering in his eyes as he laughed louder.

"That's horrible!" she gasped, but was laughing too. They laughed until they couldn't laugh anymore, only to be set off again with the smallest of giggles.

"_Ferme ta bouche_," she said after a beat "_et embrasse-moi._"

* * *

**I hope you liked these. As always, thanks for reading :)**


	10. O, V, X, Z

**Here's the last of the alphabet drabbles! Took me long enough eh? ;)  
I hope you like them, they were certainly fun to write.  
This is dedicated to all my readers.**

**O - Oath: 241 words - [I kinda wanted an explanation of how Eli and Jake became friends on the show, so I hope this filled in some plot :)]  
X - X-Mas: 269 words - Sorry! (though I hope the fluff made up for it)  
Z - Zipper: 206 words - I'm terrible at following my own rules, haha.**

**Anyways, enjoy :) And I don't own.**

* * *

**O - Oath**

**-x-**

"So..." Jake grunted.

"_So_...?" Eli answered back just as gruffly.

"You're going to be good to her?"

Eli's jaw clenched. Clare was getting ready upstairs and this was looking a lot like an ambush.

"Yes. I promise."

The brown-haired teen tightened his fists on the other side of the table from the raven-haired one.

"Eli, she's my sister-"

"She's my girlfriend."

"She's her own person, above anything."

Jake had eluded to this particular conversation a couple of times, but they'd never let it boil over. An ex-boyfriend-now-brother, and another ex-boyfriend-now-lover had been too messy.

The two teens looked at each other. Two boys, with nothing in common - friends, by some cosmic joke, bound together by one girl - came to an understanding that very moment.

"I know we're friends now, but-"

"Oh, we're friends now?" Eli smirked.

"Don't be a little bitch," Jake grinned in return.

Then Clare decided to bound down the stairs. "Ready?" she smiled, kissing Eli's cheek.

"Ready," he answered. The two made their way outside, Clare waving her brother goodbye.

And the two boys looked at each other. Their friendship had been held together by one girl, built because they had no other choice, sure to crumble if the girl was gone - so when they felt like they didn't owe each other any longer, they stayed friends instead.

"So..._Katie_?" Eli laughed, before Jake could throw his food at him.

* * *

**V - Vendetta**

**-x-**

She told him she hated coffee. But she tried it once at his gentle suggestion and found she loved the vanilla/pumpkin one. Just a little bit.  
She told him she hated drinking. But she tried it once at his gentle suggestion and found she loved Smirnoff Ice. Just a little bit.

She told him she hated smoking. But she tried it once at his gentle suggestion and found she loved the ashy burn in her lungs. Just a little bit.  
She told him she hated him. But she tried him once at his gentle suggestion, and found that she loved his red mouth on hers. Just a little bit.

He wondered if he'd tell their children that she fell in love with what she hated. Or if she hated what she fell in love with. Just a little bit.

* * *

**X - X-Mas**

**-x-**

"_You've got to be fucking kidding me," was his immediate response when he saw the little black Husky bouncing up and down in their foyer, barking loudly._

"_But Eli," Clare practically begged, "look at that face! It's so cute and-"_

"_No," he repeated._

"_It was wandering all alone on the street, what was I supposed to do?"_

"_I hate dogs," he growled._

"_Eli-"_

"_No."_

"Eli?" she called from the doorway, seeing him peek out the front door window. "It's 1 in the morning-"

"I know," he sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I was just checking if anyone came by..."

She walked over to him, wrapped in one of his sweaters, and attached herself to his side. "Don't worry," she murmured.

"I'm not worried," he snapped. "I _hate_ that dog. Stupid thing has to run away two days before Christmas Eve."

"Alright, Grinch," Clare smiled. "Let's go to bed."

He'd put flyers up the night she brought it home. No way were they keeping it. But when nobody came to claim the mutt, and it somehow nuzzled right next to his heart without him noticing, they might as well keep it right?

But now they were back to square one: flyers up Christmas Eve.

And the next morning as the two lovers made their way downstairs, Eli swearing he never cared for the thing anyway, _he_ was the first of the two to bound to the door when he saw their dog's face pressed against the living room window.

"Stupid mutt," he laughed, hoisting the pup into his arms. "Aren't you, girl? Eh Cin, eh Cinnamon?"

* * *

**Z - Zipper**

**-x-**

"So what's the guy's name again?"

"Dallas," she answered sharply, adjusting her dress as she peeked around the corner. "And be quiet."

"If I don't, will you promise to make me?" he smirked, his voice low as he pushed up against her to check their parameters.

"I swear to God-" she began, but was interrupted by the arrival of two security guards.

They had about ten seconds.

"Okay, we've got two options to escape this heist alive. Quick, hit me."

She gaped at him. "What?!"

"We don't have time to argue. We've got the diamond, we have to-oh fuck it." He grabbed her arm and hoisted her body against his, and before she had time to react, his mouth was on hers.

The blonde security guard cleared his voice loudly.

"Oh shit, sorry." Eli managed, pulling his hand out of Clare's dress, and looking to the guards. "Bebe I told you this was a bad idea."

"I'm so embarrassed," she giggled, acting coy and attaching herself to Eli as they were escorted out.

-x-

"Option two: you should've just hit me," he rasped in her ear, fixing the zipper at the back of her dress.

He was lucky they were in such a public place.

* * *

**Review lovely? :)**


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